The Rise of Sai

As snakes slithered from every corner of the forest, Amal froze, her voice trembling. "Why couldn't you be the king of lions instead of snakes?"

She shivered, keeping a wary distance from the growing tide of reptiles.

Tai's lips curled into a faint smirk. "I'm sorry. I should have been born a lion, then?"

Amal shot him a glare. "You were born a snake?"

Tai sighed, brushing off her tone. "Yes."

Shi intervened, his voice steady. "No, Tai. You weren't simply born a snake. You were born half-human, half-snake. That makes you unique."

Sai, standing at the edge of the gathering, cut in with a serious tone. "Let's focus. We need to train. It won't be long before the king finds us."

Amal crossed her arms, her frustration bubbling over. "I don't care about the king. I care about Xei. If he finds us, we're dead."

Tai frowned, tilting his head. "Who's Xei?"

Amal glanced at Sai, her voice grim. "Turns out he's Sai's brother."

Tai's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? I thought he was dead!"

"So did I," Amal said, her voice low. "Until I saw him with my own eyes."

Sai clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "He cut through my flames like they were nothing. And my flames aren't ordinary fire."

Amal raised a brow. "You don't even know what your flames are, do you?"

Shi stepped forward, his tone thoughtful. "I may be wrong, Sai, but your flames aren't just fire. They're tied to your very life force. That's why they can fight, heal, and protect you."

Sai looked confused. "So, they're just... fire that does all that?"

Shi shook his head. "No. Your flames come from the Demon Realm. Your grandfather told me about them long ago. The flames are neither good nor evil—they're stolen power, taken from that realm."

"Stolen?" Sai asked, his voice cautious.

"Yes," Shi continued. "The first in your family to wield that power took it from the Demon Realm. And when you die, your soul will return there, forced to fight forever for whichever side aligns with your heart."

Amal's eyes widened, her voice incredulous. "Wow. You all have these incredible powers, and I've got... a sword."

Tai interrupted, his expression grim. "Good story, but we've got a problem."

Sai turned to him. "What is it?"

Tai crossed his arms, his tone serious. "My snakes have gone to war with the king of this land."

Sai blinked in surprise. "Why?"

"Because I told them to come to this forest, defend it, and build a kingdom," Tai admitted.

Sai exhaled, rubbing his temples. "That's not too big of a problem—"

"It is," Tai interjected. "I'm the ruler of the Snake Kingdom. By involving my kind, the entire kingdom is now part of this. This isn't just a local skirmish anymore."

Shi nodded grimly. "Tai's right. By bringing the Snake Kingdom into this, we may have just ignited a war—not between two kingdoms, but potentially a hundred. Every kingdom will see this as an opportunity to expand their power."

Tai's shoulders slumped, his voice quiet. "This wasn't my intention. My mother always told me to protect my kind, not drag them into war."

Shi's expression softened. "Wars have a way of spiraling out of control. It only takes one spark to ignite the whole forest."

Amal shook her head in disbelief. "Tai, you're going down in history as the guy who started a world war after years of peace. Sucks to be you."